


Begin Again

by jessaverant



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Cuddling, Endless Flirting, F/F, Fight Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, The list goes on people, Together in our bedroom after the war, post s5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessaverant/pseuds/jessaverant
Summary: Adora asks Catra to comb her hair for her after a bath. | Set just after the end of the series. Some flirting, cuddling, kissing, pining, and reverence for your partner included.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 309





	Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> Gave it a T rating because there are parts that COULD go into NSFW territory, but it doesn't. Not this time, anyway.

When Catra returned to their room, Adora was bathing.

Adora had been dismissed earlier that day from their many,  _ many  _ debriefings to continue her recovery. Every day was a little bit more, a little bit stronger, but it was still taking more time than Adora wanted to admit. It wasn’t unusual for Catra to return and find Adora half-asleep with an apple she snagged from the kitchen in her hand.

Catra closed the bedroom door behind her and approached the washroom door. “Adora? Are you in there?”

“Yeah, I’m almost done,” Adora called back. Her call was accompanied with the sound of water hitting the tile floor. Catra sighed and gave a withering look to Melog, who had hopped onto the bed. Melog tilted his head and stretched, watching.

“You better clean up the mess in there,” Catra said to the door, although her words had little bite to them. Adora responded by opening the washroom door, soaking wet with a towel draped on her head.

“I  _ always _ clean up the mess,” Adora said pointedly, grinning at Catra. She slipped past her partner with a touch to her shoulder and stood at the vanity, wiping the steam away from the mirror. Catra remained where she stood, arms loosely crossed, and examined Adora; she was looking for slight tremors in her stance, or the telltale sign of fatigue. Adora had been so tired, so thoroughly  _ exhausted _ after it all ended, and it had been over seven days and she was still weak—

“What, are you inspecting me?” Adora said, pulling Catra out of her reverie. Catra shot her a half-smile.

“Just making sure you’re doing what you were  _ told _ to do by the healer,” Catra said, letting her arms drop as she sat down on the edge of their bed beside Melog. Catra caught sight of a partially-filled bottle on the vanity, and narrowed her eyes. “Did you  _ actually _ come up here and take that sleeping medicine when Glimmer dismissed you earlier?” Adora’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Adora!”

“I took half!” Adora countered. “The healer said I didn’t have to take it all if I didn’t  _ want _ to, so I took half.” Adora looked down at the emerald-colored bottle, disdain plain as day across her face. “I-I don’t like how it makes me feel when I wake up.” She glanced over to Catra, who was watching her with a  _ look _ . “It makes me feel… weird.”

“It’s forcing your body to relax so it can  _ heal,”  _ Catra said evenly. “I know you don’t like it, but... It’s necessary, Adora.” Adora sighed and sat down in the vanity chair. She pulled the edges of her robe taught, as if trying to hide inside it. Robin’s egg blue silk with winding patterns hand-stitched by elderly seamstresses; a gift from Perfuma. She only wore it in their room. Adora took her hand towel and started mussing it through her hair once more, ignoring the bottle in her line of sight. Adora had always hated medicines of all kinds, and even a near-death experience wouldn’t make her keen. Catra looked down at Melog, who was nudging her hand with his nose. 

“Thank you for taking half of it,” Catra said, looking back up at Adora. “I appreciate you continuing to do it, even if you don’t like it.” Catra caught Adora’s smile reflected from the mirror, eyes softening just for her. Catra responded with a small smile of her own, gently stroking Melog’s ears. They sat in a pleasant silence, the room filled with Melog’s pleasant purrs as Adora squeezed her hair dry.

“Hey, Catra,” Adora said, breaking their silence and turning around in the vanity seat. “Can you comb my hair?” Catra furrowed her brow, caught off guard.

“Can I  _ comb your hair?” _

“Yeah!” Adora said, and she picked up a thick white comb. It had a purple carving of a half-moon embedded in the handle. “It’s been a total mess and it’s  _ so  _ much easier to deal with when someone else combs it.”

“I—I’m not really good at that kind of thing,” Catra responded. Adora shrugged.

“That’s okay, I’m not either,” she said. “But it feels nice.” Catra still felt unsure, and it showed in her face. Adora widened her eyes and jutted out her lower lip in a faux pout. “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease, Catra?” She brandished the comb towards her. Catra sighed, but relented with a smile.

“ _ Fine.  _ Come over here,” she said, and Adora stood from the vanity. She sat on a cushion on the floor, hand towel in her lap. The dampness of her hair had stained the back of her robe dark and translucent, and Catra couldn’t stop her eyes from trailing upwards along her back. 

“Here,” Adora said, holding the comb above her head. “This is one of the first things I was ever given in Bright Moon. It’s still one of the best,” she added. Catra took the comb — smooth, weighted, hand-crafted — and knelt behind Adora. Adora’s hair was in stringy tufts from being so harshly dried, peppered with small knots from being unkempt for so long.

“Are you settled yet?” Catra asked as Adora wiggled more on the cushion. Catra caught Adora’s thigh as she moved her legs around, poking out from underneath the opening of the robe. She took in her breath sharply, staring.

It wasn’t until Melog hopped off the bed and settled beside Adora’s hip that Catra finally saw the scars.

The edge of Adora’s thigh, still exposed —  _ so close, in touching range — _ was covered in thin, white lines. So thin and faint they were near imperceptible, but they were present, some thicker and deeper than others. They crossed her skin in battle formation, no longer raw and bleeding but still so very  _ there.  _ Melog laid his head against Adora’s leg, and Adora placed her hand behind his ears. He laid right on top of a particularly gnarly set, thick and reddish-white from age. Catra bit her lower lip.

“Well?” Adora said in a soft voice that pulled Catra from her thoughts. “Are you gonna do it or is my hair going to dry and look like yours?”

“Hey!” Catra cried, hands on her hips in indignation. “ _ My hair is fine.” _

“Now it is, now that it’s all short and stuff,” Adora said, turning to look at Catra. The setting sun backlit Adora  _ just right _ as she turned and her hair and skin illuminated, nearly glowing, as she faced Catra. Catra would swear she even saw a sheen in her eyes, reminiscent of She-Ra. 

_ She’s so beautiful, _ Catra thought, momentarily dumbfounded. Adora’s smile fell away into confusion as she caught Catra’s eyes, and Catra looked away, embarrassed by the sudden dark blush on her face. 

“Catra? You okay?” Catra coughed.

“Yeah, I--Just—just turn around so I can clean this up,” Catra muttered, waving a hand at Adora’s back. Adora’s turn had exposed more of her leg and her arm, more supple skin, more tender scars, all bathed in golden light. 

Adora continued to stare, but her surprised expression became a tender smile. She reached out and placed her hand on Catra’s cheek, slowly turning Catra back to face her. Catra swallowed. 

“You’re just… really pretty, okay?” Catra admitted. Adora blinked in surprise. 

“You think I’m  _ pretty?”  _ Adora removed her hand from Catra’s face and placed it on her chest and faux happiness. “Oh,  _ Catra _ —”

“Shut up!” Catra cried, giving Adora a gentle shove. Adora laughed, sharp without bite, warm without heat. She turned back around so her back and shoulders were facing Catra again. Melog mewed softly and placed his head on Adora’s thigh, now covered again by the robe. Adora stroked her fingers along his head and was rewarded with a light purr.

“Now will you stop  _ wiggling _ so I can do this please?” Catra asked through another sigh, her face cooling. “I don’t want to be  _ embarrassed _ by being associated with you.”

“Oh, I’m  _ so _ sorry my middle-of-a-war appearance wasn’t up to your high standards,” Adora replied.

“I kind of expected princesses to have front-line showers,” Catra murmured as she began drawing the comb through Adora’s damp hair. She placed one hand, claws retracted, onto the back of Adora’s scalp, and used the other to take long, slow strokes through the tangled locks. They really were a mess, albeit a clean, sweet-scented mess.

“Yeah, you know, we have an entire front line vanity we just forgot at home,” Adora said, her hand trailing from Melog’s head to the nape of his neck. A slight breeze picked up in the dusk, swaying the gossamer curtains at their window. 

“They don’t really tell you how dirty it’ll be, huh?” Adora said. Catra’s ears perked. Adora’s tone had shifted. “It’s one of those things they didn’t… don’t focus on. How it feels to be so  _ dirty _ for so  _ long. _ How it demoralizes you. Makes you feel so… I don’t know.”

“Terrible,” Catra added. “It makes you feel terrible.” Hygiene wasn’t exactly the Horde’s strong point, and battlefront hygiene wasn’t a point at all, let alone one even sort of focused on. Catra curled her tail against her leg, remembering how many times she’d been reprimanded for focusing on taking care of her fur. Reprimanded for an instinct she had no control over, that was written into her DNA.

_ It wasn’t fair. And that’s okay. _

“Catra?” Adora said. Catra realized she had closed her eyes and stopped combing, instead lost in old feelings. She shook her head, smoothed out her tail, and started combing again.

“Sorry,” Catra said, re-focusing on the feeling of Adora’s hair in her hands. “It’s nothing.”

“You sure?” Adora said, with a reassuring doubtfulness in her words. Catra licked her lips.

“Yeah,” Catra said with a smile.  _ I’ll tell you later, I promise. _

“Just checking,” Adora said, allowing her shoulders to relax.  _ I know.  _ Catra continued the motions, pressing gently against Adora’s head with the comb in a way she knew Adora would like. Her hair was starting to dry now, yellow and gold strands intertwined in a magnificent heap in Catra’s hands. The comb caught on a knot, and Catra sighed, placing the comb on the floor. She held the knot in her palm and flexed her claws in her free hand, using their ends to detangle bits of Adora’s hair.

“How do you get knots like this? Are you doing this on purpose?” Catra asked. She felt Adora chuckle.

“This is all a ploy to annoy you into submission,” Adora said. Catra pursed her lips and continued to struggle with the knot, caught between tearing Adora’s hair and trying to salvage it.

“Maybe I’ll just rip all the knots out of your dumb head,” Catra said in a half-smile. Adora tensed and whirled around, much to Catra and Melog’s surprise. Adora slipped easily out of Catra’s grasp and turned to face her, causing Catra to fall backwards on her elbows in surprise. Melog hopped away gracefully, retreating to a separate cushion near the vanity. 

“Don’t you  _ dare _ ,” Adora warned, arms crossed. She was kneeling before Catra, head high, looking down at her with a devilish smile. “I will throw you out of the window if you rip my hair.” Catra just stared up at her, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Really?” she breathed. “You really always gotta be  _ this  _ dramatic?” Adora pouted and stuck out her tongue, a motion to which Catra reciprocated with a loud raspberry. 

“Really, Catra? Do you always have to be so  _ childish? _ ” Adora said in a feigned annoyed tone. While Catra was still laying back on her elbows, Adora got down on her hands and knees and crawled over to her, placing one hand on either side of her shoulders. She fit comfortably between Catra’s legs and knees, wet hair clinging to her face. Her eyes softened and she smiled.

“You  _ adore _ me,” Catra said as she sat up, so close to Adora’s face their noses touched.

“Oh please,” Adora said, voice barely above whisper. “I’m not doing this because I like you.” Catra raised her eyebrows.

“Hey,” she said. “Don’t throw my own words back at me!” Adora buzzed her lips.

“Shut up,” Adora mumbled in response. “Or I’ll kiss you.” Catra flushed.

“Is that a threat?” Catra asked. Adora pressed her forehead against Catra’s, leaning against her thigh. Their bodies were  _ so close together _ and it still made Catra squirm with excitement — at least, internally. She knew Adora could feel the heat on her cheeks, the tremble in her limbs, how she was barely holding herself up. She wanted Adora to drape her body on top of her own and never, ever, ever leave.

_ Stay. _

“You were never good at—” Catra started, and was immediately cut off as Adora kissed her. Catra knew it was coming and yet it still surprised her, it  _ always _ surprised her, every single time it happened. Adora’s taste enveloped her, and she gave in, allowing her elbows to collapse and instead pulling Adora down with her to the floor. Adora obliged her and Catra couldn’t stop herself from digging her hands into Adora’s hair. Adora lay flush against her, every curve aligned, and Catra felt her heart beat faster than it ever had in her  _ life.  _ Adora’s scent enveloped her and she wanted to suffocate in it, over and over and over.

After a few more blissful moments, Adora snickered into her mouth and pulled away, pushing herself up but still hovering over Catra. Her robe had come slightly undone, just enough for Catra to be able to see the arch of her shoulders, her neck, her collarbones. Just enough for the scars to catch the dim light, streaked clouds against the morning sky of her skin. Just enough for Catra to soak it in.

“What was I never good at?” Adora said in a quiet voice. Catra lay flat on her back, arms by her side, out of breath. 

“Threats,” she muttered between breaths. “Y-you’re too soft.”  _ Why am I out of breath? This is ridiculous.  _ Adora propped herself up, still sitting between Catra’s legs. She extended an arm and pulled Catra up, so Adora was now kneeling in her lap, hair still askew. Adora reached up and ran her fingers through Catra’s mussed hair, flattening it down. Up close, Catra could see the circles under her eyes, the slight fatigue in her face. She was still healing, after all.  _ She needs more rest. _

“What’re you doing?” Catra asked, still blushing, still breathing hard. Adora pulled her hands down and placed them on Catra’s shoulders, trailing them down her arms to her hands. She then pulled Catra’s hands to encircle her own waist, pulling Catra towards her.

“I dunno,” Adora admitted. “I just really like touching you.” Catra chuckled.

“I like touching you, too,” she said, leaning her face against Adora’s shoulder. Adora slipped her arms over Catra’s shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Adora buried her nose into Catra’s hair and Catra lay against her, fingers grasping her slippery robe like a lifeline. Adora’s mostly-dry, still unbrushed hair fell over Catra’s hands.

“Adora,” she said into Adora’s shoulder, “your hair is still messy.” Adora smiled into Catra’s hair.

“Guess you better start combing again, huh?” she said, releasing Catra from her grip. Catra reluctantly pulled back from Adora and untangled her limbs as Adora stood, re-adjusting her robe. Catra sat on the floor still, her eyes on the comb beside the cushion. She looked at the comb, up at Adora, and then caught Melog, who was sitting on the bench underneath the open window, watching silently. Catra grinned.

“Catra, where did—Ahhh!” Adora cried as Catra sprung on her from the floor, pushing them both down onto the bed. “Hey!”

“I’ve decided I don’t mind it like this,” Catra said with a sly smile, running the hair over her fingers. “Lots of crazy knots is so  _ you, _ Adora.” Adora, who was now splayed on her side along the length of the bed, reached out and attempted to shove Catra.

“Is not!”

“Is too!” Catra pounced on Adora, and the pair rolled over into the cushions on the bed, laughing. The sun had just about set and they had rolled further under the canopy, burrowed under warm shadows. Adora and Catra stared at one another in the half-dark, Catra’s eyes glinting in borrowed light from the window.

“I love you,” Catra whispered. Adora smiled.

“I love you, too.” They were lying face to face, legs interlocked, basking in their shared warmth. Catra wiggled closer to Adora, close enough to reach, and placed her forehead against Adora’s. Exhaustion suddenly collapsed on top of them, even though it was only early evening. Catra curled her tail around them both, hugging Adora closer. Adora reached out and placed a hand on Catra’s cheek, eyes closed.

It wasn’t long until they were both asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I took some inspiration for their interactions based on myself and my IRL partner. We have very similar flirty banter; she's very Catra while I'm very Adora. My first She-Ra fic, hopefully more to come!


End file.
